IPL 2024 Week 1 Review: Andre Russell is MyKhel's Standout Player of The Opening Week

Add as a preferred source on Google

Week 1 of the cricket extravagnza - Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has already seen some near-impossible records tumble as we witnessed 10 matches being played across seven venues from March 22 to 29.

The defending champions Chennai Super Kings, who opened the tournament with back-to-back impressive wins at home, finished week one at the top of the IPL 2024 points table thanks to their superior net run rate (NRR).

Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals also remained perfect at the end of the first week of the season, while record-breaking Sunrisers Hyderabad complete the top four heading into the second week of IPL 2024.

While CSK remain table-toppers due to their all-round performance with debutants Rachin Ravindra and Mustafizur Rahman being the highlight, KKR, RR and SRH have had some individuals, who contributed to the teams success over the week.

Two in-form T20 stars and one player who seems to have finally arrived after the team's immense faith in him over the years, are some of the top performers from the opening week. Here is a look at myKhel's standout player from week 1 of IPL 2024:

MyKhel Standout Player of Week 1 in IPL 2024

After flashes of showcasing his ability in the last few seasons, West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has rolled back years with his big hitting and miserly bowling in the first two matches of the season.

Russell's form has come as a big boost for Kolkata Knight Riders as the all-rounder stepped up with both bat and ball. In the season opener at the Eden Gardens, Russell smashed an unbeaten 64 off 25 balls to take KKR from 119 for 7 to 207 before returning with figures of 2 for 25 in 2 overs.

During the knock, Russell hit seven maximums and three fours as he took Sunrisers bowling attack to the cleaners. Russell's contribution would have gone in vain after Heinrich Klaasen's response, but Harshit Rana's final over sealed the match in KKR's favour.

While he didn't get a chance to bat at one of his favourite venues - M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Russell produced brilliant figures with the ball on an unforgiving wicket with slower balls and cutters to finish his spell at 2 for 29 in 4 overs.

The 35-year-old kept Royal Challengers Bengaluru batters, including the set Virat Kohli's run-scoring in check in the middle overs as well as the death. His spell was crucial as KKR restricted RCB to under 200 and chased the score down with ease.

Apart from Russell, SRH's Klaasen, who made scores of 63 and 80 in the two innings, as well as RR's Riyan Parag, who made 43 and 84, also performed at their best in the opening week.

However, Russell takes the player of week spot thanks to his all-round contribution, which is promising for KKR as they chase their third IPL title, the first since 2014, and also a big boost for West Indies in the home World Cup year.

The big-hitting all-rounder will be one of the stars to watch out in the next three months in IPL followed by the T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and the Caribbean. Klaasen also will be key to SRH and South Africa in the next few months.